Antigone. No, fpeak it loud: more hateful wilt thou be Ifmene. Thou haft a warm heart in a dangerous act. Ifmene. Couldst thou effect Thy purpofe; but the deed exceeds thy pow'r. Thou speak, and justly by the dead be held Ifmene. Go then, fince thus refolved; but know th' attempt Shows frenzy, though ftrong friendship to thy friends.' To the filent criticism of Italics, by which we have diftinguished fome lines in the preceding extract, we leave our readers to add their own obfervations on the paffages thus marked; and fhall conclude this article by expreffing our concern, that we cannot, confcientioufly, afford the fame commendation to the prefent performance, which we bestowed on Mr. P.'s tranflations of Efchylus, and Euripides. See, for the first, Rev. vol. lix. p. 286; and for the fecond, vol. Ixvii. p. 241. and vol. lxx. p. 236. ART. III. P. Virgilii Maronis Georgicon, Lib. IV. illuftrabat, explicabat, emendabat, Gilbertus Wakefield, A. B. et Coll. Jeju apud Cantab. nuper Socius. 8vo. pp. 104. 35. 6d. Boards. Deighton. 1788. THER THERE was a time, in which the labours of verbal criticifm were held in greater eftimation than they are at prefent. When correct editions of the ancient Greek and Roman writers were among the first defiderata of literature, induftry and ingenuity could fcarcely have been better employed, than in producing them. It was then allowable, and even meritorious (when other auxiliaries proved infufficient), to call in the bold hand of conjecture. But in the prefent ftate of letters, at least with refpect to the first order of claffics, the fe labours are, by fome, deemed in a great meafure fuperfluous; and, it has been afferted, that "criticifm ought to rife to its higher office of appreciating the merit of thofe works which it has refcued from oblivion." We are very willing to allow all that is due to the weight of thefe obfervations, but our opinion on the fubject is well known to the public, and has been given, at large, in our account of Toup's edition of Longinus*: REV. Oct. 1789. See Rev. vol. lx. p. 375. where where the utility of verbal criticifm is afferted, with our best ability. Every competent judge will readily acknowlege, that the notes which accompany this edition of Virgil's Georgics, difcover great critical acumen, as well as very extenfive reading. Many of the author's conjectural emendations are exceedingly ingenious, and may juftly be faid to be in the best manner of Bentley and, befide thefe, the reader will meet with many judicious grammatical remarks, bold and lively cenfures of other critics, and beautiful elucidations of particular paffages of the Georgics, which Mr. Wakefield juftly calls politiffimi pëta politiffimum poëma. The following note is felected as a fpecimen of the author's conjectural emendations: Locus longè fuaviffimus atque deixarer: qui tamèn mihi vix videtur procedere recto talo. Vide enim, lector nafute, an tibi excurrat, eâ, quâ par eft, proprietate. Optima quæque dies miferis mortalibus ævi Prima FUGIT: SUBEUNT morbi, triftifque fene&us, Quid magis frigidum effe poteft, quàm interpretari, ut folentLABOR RAPIT?-undè, aut quo? Et fi pleniùs diftinguamus poft labor, ut ad fubeunt referatur ifta vox, nefcio, an multum proficimus, dum ultima claufula fibi fola relinquitur à præcedentibus abfciffa; quod claudicare facit, vel potiùs cadere, fententiam: nam novum id verbum rapit interveniens verfus elegantiffimè procedentes impedit et frangit. Totus locus, levi emendatione adjutus, ad finem uno fpiritu celerique curfu properaret: hoc autèm lectoris arbitrio totum permittimus. T Optima quæque dies miferis mortalibus ævi Prima fugit: fubeunt morbi, triftifque fenectus, Et labor, et dure GRAVIS inclementia mortis.' Among other excellent grammatical obfervations, the following, on the manner in which the Roman writers expreffed the force of the middle voice of the Greeks, will be highly acceptable to the learned reader: V. 33. vertere. e. fi admittatur recepta lectio, atque editoribus, quotquot fint, fides detur-pro verti paffivá voce; vel potiùs fe vertere-media vocis fignificatione: hoc autem ignorantiæ facilè illis condonari poteft. Quod fi hoc generaliter verum effet, ut hi putant, actum eft ilicèt de linguarum omnium proprietatibus; ubique in oratione dominabuntur tenebræ ac ambiguitas; nec ullas leges agnofcere poterit dicendi ratio. Hæc autèm tanti funt momenti tantæque fortafsè novitatis, ut levitèr perftringi non debent, fed ad accuratius examen revocari. Hoc igitur dico et edico, Virgilium atque alios probos auctores, quoties vim mediæ vocis Græcorum velint exprimere, femper uti vece paliva. (nam vocem tertiam cum fuis terminationibus non habent) vel activá cum pronomine. Quùm autèm una atque altera exceptio, mille aliis repugnantibus exemplis, nobis opponantur, his difcutiendis paulifpèr immorandum eft. 7 Franguntur Franguntur remi: tum prora AVERTIT, et undis veram quidem lectionem agnofcit Servius, dum falfam immeritò defendit. Hæc ille in locum: Alii prora legi tradunt; ut fit avertit pro avertitur. Eft figura creberrima: poteft namque pro activi verbi fignificatione paffivum poni, ut eft:- -et pitis BELLANTUR Amazones armis: pro bellant. Nec nos debet movere, quod bellor non facit; natura enim hoc prohibuit: nam compone hoc verbum, et invenitur activum; facit enim debello." Quidnam hic vult veterator fibi? contendit fcilicèt passivam vocem poffe poni pro activâ, et obfervationem tendit confirmare ope verbi, paffivam fignificationem naturâ fuâ non admittentis! Quid autem fingi poteft magis ftultum ridiculumque? Verùm enimverò ineptæ fententiæ non funt nifi ineptis argumentis defendendæ.Pergit autèm nofter criticus, et quædam difficiliora expeditu in medium proponit, quibus eft diutiùs attendendum: in his enim cardo rei vertitur. "Et contrà pro passivi verbi fignificatione activum ponitur; ut eft hoc loco AVERTIT pro AVERTITUR: et: INSINUAT favor, pro INSINUATUR: et: Nox humida calo PRECIPITAT, pro præcipitatur. Sed hæc verba tantummodò pro fe invicèm ponuntur, qua et activa effe poffunt et paliva." Imprimis notandum eft hæc ultima prioribus apertiffimè adverfari, ut quivis rem intuenti ftatim patebit. Quod autem ad partes fuas vocet avertit pro avertitur, cum ipfe lectionem agnofcat, quæ cam avertit nullo modo ftare poteft, planè eft hominis de causâ defperantis. De fecundo fuo exemplo Tum verò tremefacta novus per pectora cunctis INSINUAT pavor: En. ii. 228. ità equidem ftatuo. Infinuat,-i. e. IN SINUS IT cunctis: quod quidem fatis planum eft, nec paffiva vox in hoc negotio ullum locuin habere potuiffet. Sed hoc elt ex iis verbis quæ nunc activa funt, Quod ad ultimum exemplum attinet. -jam nox humida calo PRECIPITAT: En. ii. 9. cum præcipitor in paffivá voce neque in Lucretio neque in noftro inveniatur, mihi perfuafum eft hanc dictionem in tali ufu ab illis pro neutro haberi: et fic nodus folvitur. Quid autem fi concederemus unum et alterum exemplum proferri poffe, quod noftras vires fuperaret, qui poft tot fæcula Latinam linguam penitùs pernofcere nullo modo poffumus? Quis nefcit omnem linguam fuas anomalias habere, quæ leges juftæ conftructionis violant, fed regulas mille exemplis atque ipsâ veritate ftabilitas non debent abrogare?' Mr. W. illuftrates these remarks by other pertinent examples, and applies them to the elucidation of feveral paffages in other writers. On the whole, we cannot doubt, that thefe notes will afford the claffical reader much elegant amusement. X 2 ART. ART. IV. Bibliotheca Topographica Britannica. Numbers 46 (Price 3s. 6d.), 47 (Price 2s.), 48 (Price 6s.). 4to. Nichols. 1788. THE THE first article in No. 46, is the Cafe of the Inhabitants of Croydon, Surry, concerning the great Oppreffions they ly under, by reafon of the unparalleled Extortions, and violent, illegal, and unwarrantable Profecutions of Doctor William Clewer, Vicar of the faid Parifh: humbly prefented to Parlia ment, in 1673.' The inhabitants of Croydon had before employed measures to free themfelves from the tyranny of their artful and worthlefs Vicar; but the proceedings were ftopt by a Noli profequi, obtained, it is faid, by fraud, and afterward taken off: in confequence of which the caufe was heard, at different times, by the King (Charles II.) and Privy Council, and referred to the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Lord High Chancellor; and it was at length determined that a bill relative to it fhould be brought into Parlia It feems to reflect no honour on the King, Archbishop, &c. that they were not more speedy and determined in delivering the complainants from the oppreffions of the trouble fome Vicar, whofe character and conduct, according to this account, were infamous, and whofe extortions were intolerable. The memory of this affair, however, feems fcarcely worth preferving, unless it be by way of admonition, and as an Appendix to the Hiftory of Croydon: which Appendix alfo contains Letters of Dr. Ducarel and Archbishop Herring refpecting the town, palace, &c. likewife extracts of the fame kind from the lives of Cranmer, Grindal, and Whitgift, together with additions and corrections. A Lift of the Manerial Houfes which formerly belonged to the See of Canterbury,' forms the next article of this number: they are, in all, twenty-fix: moft of these houfes, with the manors belonging to them and others, were exchanged, by Archbishop Cranmer, with King Henry VIII. for other lands, to extinguish the paffions of fuch (it is added in Italics) as looked with regret and defire on the patrimony of the church.-Very large revenues, we imagine, are not requifite or neceffary for the church, as he terms it; but we agree with the editor, that numerous eyes of courtiers and others were at that time directed, as they are fill, with longing defire to any easy methods of obtaining large fortunes. Among the anecdotes here and there interfperfed relative to thefe manerial houfes, we obferve fome account of a converfation which paffed between Henry VIII. and Cranmer, relative *See Rev. vol. lxx. p. 112. to to the alienation of fome of them, in the words of one Morice who was prefent "As touching his (Cranmer's) exchanges, men ought to confider with whom he had to do; especially with fuch a prince, as would not be bridled nor be gain-faid in any of his requests, unless men would danger altogether. I was by when Otford and Knol (now Knowle, the feat of the Duke of Dorfet) were given him. My Lord, minded to have retained Knol unto himself, faid, that it was too fmall a house for his Majesty. Marry, faid the King, I had rather have it than this houfe, meaning Otford; for it ftandeth on a better foil. This houfe ftandeth low, and is rheumatick, like unto Croydon, where I could never be without ficknefe. And as for Knol, it ftandeth on a found, perfect, and wholesome ground. And if i fhould make abode here, as I do furely mind to do now and then, I will live at Knol, and most of my houfe fhall live at Otford.' And fo by this means, both thofe houfes were delivered up into the King's hands; and as for Otford, it is a notable great and ample houfe, whofe reparations yearly cost more than men would think." The third article of this number is, A Defcription of Trinity Hospital at Guildford, and of Albury Houfe.' The hofpital was founded in 1619, by George Abbot, Archbishop of Canterbury, who fettled lands on it to the value of 300l. per ann. It has a neat and fpacious chapel, with glass windows, well ftained, reprefenting the hiftory of Jacob. Under each compartment, are four Latin lines, which are here indifferently tranflated. The words beneath Jacob's Ladder, or Dream, Pia funt et piorum fomnia,' might, perhaps, have been more expreffively rendered, Pious are even the dreams of pious men. Brief Notes on Batterfea, Chelfham, Nutfield and Tatsfield, in Surry, finish this pamphlet. There is nothing in them particularly worthy of notice here, except an infcription in Batterfea church to the memory of Sir Edward Winter, who commanded a ship in the fervice of the Eaft India Company, and was knighted by Charles the Second. On his return home, it is faid, he was in the woods when a tiger attacked him; he placed himself at the fide of a pond, and when the tiger flew at him, he catched him in his arms, fell back with him into the water, when he got upon him, and kept him down till he had drowned him.'-We have here four plates: Trinity Hofpital, Guildford; Albury Houfe; Map of Surry; Nutfield and Tatffield Churches. No. 47. contains, fift, Martin's Hiftory and Antiquities of St. Rule's Chapel; with Remarks by Profeffor Brown. An old legend would make us believe that a Chriftian, of the name of Regulus, in the fourth century, broke into the fepulchre of the Apostle Andrew at Patre, and brought away a part of his * In the monaftery of St. Andrews, in Scotland. |